Can opener



Jan. 19, 1932. E.. o IH. PQEPPEL 1,842,047

CAN OPENER Filed March 30, 1951 2 A JV slmailf- ,m y@ @6, f

Patented Jan. 19, 1932 PATENT OFFICE EMIL O. H. POEPPEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS CAN OPENER Application filed March 30, 1931. Serial No. 526,258.

This invention relates to mechanical devices for opening cans, and particularly to the type of can opener having a rotary cutting disc adapted to travel around the pe- `5 riphery of the can immediately below the cap, for making a clean shear cut permitting the removal of the ent-ire top of the can, and under the action of a serrated feeding disc 4 adapted to be rotated by hand.

An obj ect of this invention is to provide a can opener of this character having an improved form and arrangement of lparts whereby a greater bearing surface is imposed on the top of the can, serving to more properly guide the can opener during its operation, and prevent any inadvertent turning of the device in the operators hand which might cause injury to the operator or produce a ragged edge on the can. It is also an object to provide a device of this kind wherein the feeding Vdisc can be rotated by a crank driven reduction gear, thereby imparting greatly increased power to the feeding disc without increase of effort on the part of the operator and regardless of the pressure eX- erted by the operator on the handles.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which is adapted for ready manual operation while held in one hand without attachment to any support and without manually holding the can, and which is adapted to be used on cans of any cross sectional contour to remove the top of the can in a smooth, clean, even manner.

A specific embodiment of this invention is shown by the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the can opener as applied to a cylindrical can, the device o being in its closed or operative position.

Fig. 2 1s a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 4, showing the mounting plate in detail.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4.-4 of Fig. 1.

As herein illustrated, the improved can opener is shown applied to a common form of can, comprising a cylindrical wall and a cap, which are secured together by the usual upstanding seam.

The specific structure herein shown comprises a plate 5 having pivotally mounted thereon a handle 6, to which a lever 7 is piv 55 otally fastened, the plate 5 supporting the driving assembly and the feed roller assembly, and the lever 7 supportingthe cutting disc assembly.V

In the form shown the plate 5 is provided 50 with a reinforcing bar 8 located diametrically across its center to provide additional strength at the points of greatest strain and additional support for the rotating elements journaled thereon. Both the plate 5 and the reinforcing bar 8 are provided with regis tering slots 9 9.

The lever 7 is pivotally fastened at 10 across the handle 6 and carries at its inner end an arbor 11, extending through the slots 7U 9 9, on which is mounted a'cutting disc 12. With this arrangement a leverage action of the iirst order can be applied to the cutting disc 12 to initially force its cutting edge through the wall of a can, the motion of the arbor 11 in the slots 9-9 being radial to the center of plate 5. y

The arbor 11 is carried on the lever 7 by means of a stud 13, and is rigidly held in position by a nut 14 and washer 15. The cutting disc 12 is loosely mounted on the arbor 11 above the washer 15 so that it is free to rotate, and is also shown with a hub 16 on which a bearing member 17 is mounted so that it is free to rotate independently of the cutting s disc 12.

The bearing member 17 may be, if desired, an enlargement of the hub 16. However, in thatcase the peripheral speed of the cutting edge would be greater than that of either the can or the bearing member, and the sliding frictionof the cutting edge would cause it to rapidly become dull.

The feed roller assembly, as shown, comprisesa threaded stub shaft 18 on which is fastened a driven gear 19 and a serrated feed roller 2O having an internally threaded hub 21. The hub 21 is journaled on the plate 5 and the reinforcing bar 8 through a bushing 22 having an annular shoulder 23 abutting device to make a clean, even cut.

against the reinforcing bar 8 and swaged at 24 to hold the plate 5 and reinforcing bar 8 tightly together, and to secure the bushing 22 in position.

The feed roller 20 is located in the same plane as the bearing member 17 and cooperates with said hearing member 17 to grip the upstanding Hange of a can, as shown in F ig. 4.

The driving assembly, as shown, is located adjacent the feed roller assembly and comprises a driving shaft 25, a driving gear 27 integral on said driving shaft and meshing with the driven gear 19 and a crank 26 fastened securely to said driving shaft. The driving shaft 25 is journaled on the plate 5 and reinforcing bar 8 through a bushing 28, and is held in position by a screw 29 and washer 30.

The bushing 28 is of the same shape and is mounted in the same mann-er as the bushing 22. In this way the plate 5 and reinforcing bar 8 are held securely together in two places.

The driving gear 27 is smaller than the driven gear 19 with which it meshes, the two forming a reduction gearing which greatly increases the power applied to stub shaft 18 and the feed roller 20.

In operation the improved can opener is held in one hand by the handle 6 and the lever 7 and the upstanding ange at the top of the can is gripped between the bearing member 17 and the serrated feed roller 20. By applying slight pressure to the handle 6 and lever 7, the cutting disc 12 is caused to penetrate the wall of the can at a point immediately below the can cap. With the canV opener held in one hand, the crank 26 isV rotated with the other hand so as to cause the can to rotate under the driving action of the feed roller 20. IVhile the can rotates in one direction the cutting disc 12 rotates in the opposite direction, making a clean cut around the entire can so as to permit the removal of the entire cap.

The plate 5, being mainly over the top of the can, provides broad lateral bearing on the can top to prevent the device from twisting in the operators hand, and also guides the The round head of the screw 29 bears on the top of the can directly under the driving shaft 25, thus providing an inner bearing at the point of greatest thrust, serving to steady the device while 1n operation.`

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted Without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claim.

I claim:

In a device of the class described, the combination of a plate having a slot, a reinforcing bar mounted on said plate, having a slot to coincide with the slot of said plate, a handle pivotally attached to said plate, a lever pivotally fastened to said handle, an arbor attached to said lever and extending through said coinciding slots, a cutting disc mounted on said arbor, a bearing member on said arbor, a stub shaft journaled on said plate and reinforcing bar, a serrated feed roller mounted on said stub shaft in the same plane as said bearing member, a driven gear mounted on said stub shaft, a driving shaft journaled on said plate and reinforcing bar adjacent said stub shaft, a driving gear on said driving shaft meshing with said driven gear, and means for rotating said driving shaft.

Signed at Chicago this 27th day of March, 1931.

EMIL O. I-I. POEPPEL. 

